TALE OF THE TAPE

Week 16: Indianapolis Colts At Kansas City Chiefs

Colts

Chiefs

Quarterback

Winner
Andrew Luck did not have his greatest game against the Houston Texans, but he kept his team in the game. Luck threw two TD passes and he did not throw an interception. Luck has the arm strength to throw deep down field and hit his receivers and he also reads defenses very well for a rookie. He tends to be a bit reckless, but he makes up for that with an indomitable attitude.

The Chiefs have gotten consistently poor play from the quarterback position since the start of the season. Brady Quinn has not gotten much support from his offensive line or receivers since he was inserted into the starting lineup, but he has struggled with his accuracy and his ability to stay upright.

Offense

Winner
The Colts’ have gotten a remarkable season from a number of players, but nobody has done more than wide receiver Reggie Wayne. He combines a veteran’s savvy with an athletic receiver’s ability to make spectacular catches. The Colts have gotten just enough from their running game to take pressure off Luck and the receivers. Vick Ballard had a 105-yard game against the Texans.

The Chiefs have very little on the offensive end other than the explosive running of Jamaal Charles now that wide receiver Dwayne Bowe is on injured reserve. Charles can accelerate as well as any back in the league when he gets a small hole. Wide receiver Dexter McCluster will be the top outside target, while tight end Tony Moeaki is dependable.

Defense

The Colts rank 20th against the pass and 22nd overall in yards allowed. The Colts give up huge chunks of yardage, but they are not facing an opponent in this game who will be able to take advantage. Vontae Davis is a hard-hitting defensive back who had nine solo tackles in the loss to the Texans.

Winner
The Chiefs have a decent defensive team. While they rank ninth against the pass and 16th overall, the Chiefs have not come up with key stops throughout the season. Additionally, when you have an offense that has performed as poorly as the Chiefs have, the defense has to come up with big plays. Kansas City has not done that enough this year.

Special Teams

The Colts feel good about their chances of scoring when they can’t score a touchdown because of the presence of placekicker Adam Vinatieri. The Colts made a big mistake on special teams when Pat McAfee’s punt was blocked in the second quarter and returned for a touchdown in the loss to the Texans.

Winner
The Chiefs have not gotten a lot from their return game despite the presence of speedy Javier Arenas. Punter Dustin Colquitt and placekicker Ryan Succop have both done a decent job for head coach Romeo Crennel. Colquitt gets his punts high in the air but the Chiefs have not done a great job in coverage.

We'll Just Call it a Tie

The Colts have too much of an edge on offense and at the quarterback position to lose this game. After dropping a tough game against the Texans, the Colts should be able to get their 10th victory of the year against one of the worst offensive teams in the league.